Our senior form analyst Jamie Lynch highlights the November Handicap, the final flat competition of 2024 at Town Moor on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Racing.
We will segment the candidates to cover large fields, and from there the list of candidates will emerge organically. And of course I’ll pin my colors to a particular mast in the verdict, but the beauty is in the breakdown, so let’s take a look at that category.
three year old
In the last 15 years only two three-year-olds have won the November Handicap, but this time the three-year-old is unusually good in terms of profile and development. valve Jumping off the page, light-footed but strong on form and stable of the season, he is yet to add a two-year-old win: Notable Speech (currently rated 122), Military Academy (110 when reassessed at least Monday) and Bolster (112). The only downside is that Valvano’s immaturity shows up as sharpness at times, and he won’t shy away from that during this long trip to the testing ground.
Valvano is my current favorite.
On the other hand, the more rigorous the test, the better for relentless testing. minstrel night However, it is worth remembering that he has jumped over a small field in the mud on his last two occasions to gain a total of 13 pounds, and was paid twice that much at York. master builderThere was a good reason for this, but the track and tempo made it an unfair fight. I would be surprised if a Master Builder didn’t get revenge in these situations by focusing on his previous progress and relying on his strongest 3-yo form line.
Master Builder will be partnering with William Buick.
The Elder Riser
Insidious, one of the stars of this season. three money He was a maiden through the first 30 races before his metamorphosis in May, and here he is in the November handicap, 35 pounds higher and seven wins away. Six of those wins were under Molly Gunn. Feet of weight. another transformer, miller spiritFinished fifth in this year’s handicap at Newbury in the style of someone who has yet to reach his peak. flash bardot After both had finished the race it became clear that they were about eight lengths behind at the end, the latter starting lightly, gaining only three pounds to Miller Spirit’s seven pounds.
madness He looks like he was made for this race and maybe Alan King thinks so too. Because a bump in the road at York, as it turns out, was probably a quick belated boost for him. The only horse to beat him in his three previous races this season was Mount Atlas, who came close to winning the Old Rowley Cup last month, and Insanity should top every shortlist, even more so with Rossa Ryan coming on.
Ryan is on board Lord Melbourne It is likely that Beckett is in the midst of a transformation, having only competed in a handful of races and had two successes for the amateurs when his last trip was so brief. But now the outstanding Jack Doughty is effectively readjusting his score to 85. . stress free Stressfree finished in front of Lord Melbourne in Leicester and in front of Valvano in York before an unlucky third place at Doncaster on Futurity day under Jamie Spencer, a fit man on his first 1½m attempt here.
Chillingham will strive to go one better.
Sent off as favorite in the Autumn Cup at Newbury. Waxing Gibbers I finished in 5th place (behind). Chillingham second time earth 4th), but perhaps she did not put forth much of an effort in the Old Borough Cup (second to Epic Poet). This was preceded by further rest and only a ninth race, benefiting from the services of a champion apprentice. , Sean Dylan Bowen.
A wise eagle must bear the highest weight
slippers
In these races, which have a handicap that prevents them from winning if they respawn, the numbers are lower and the danger is lower than usual. wise eagle There is a backclass that can do it, but he still has top weight. supplements This time around they at least have a captain who can help and it’s worth remembering that he went 10-1 in last year’s Ebor. Beamish He’s eight pounds lower than when he started with Archie Watson and has Irish looks, but he’s over two meters tall. This race trip could be a shock to the system.
Maxi King thrives on soft soil
mud lover
The conditions are not as bad or as tough as they sometimes are in the November handicap, but they are still testing so it will make a positive difference. maxi king First of all because he is in his element when the mud flies two brothers He loves it and it’s backed up to a level that’s surpassed him in the past, so now he needs it to level the playing field. An off-roader that can still take things to the next level is Old Show Rune He won by a wide margin on heavy ground at Bath on his yard debut, but the handicappers did not miss him, putting him up 10lbs and taking all wins in a single-figure field.
Jamie Lynch’s Verdict
This is everything you would expect from a November handicap, with high quality and quantity. And the three children’s roots are even hotter than usual. Valvano is the best of them all, but it could also be any other Ralph Beckett runner. answer, Lord Melbourne In fact, if this were a cliché box-ticking exercise, it comes out near the top. The outstanding Jack Doughty, claiming 5lb, is decisive in the fine margin contest.
